Chapter 147: Disciple, Come Inside for a Talk

Had Junior Sister always been this powerful?

Tu Xinghe couldn’t help but marvel in his heart.

Unlike him, a complete failure who not only had poor talent but also turned to demonic cultivation, making himself neither human nor ghost.

He didn’t think the Patriarch would spare him.

There were many punishments far worse than death.

But he accepted them.

He deserved whatever was coming.

So, he lowered his head and silently awaited the Sword Pavilion Patriarch’s judgment.

Tu Xinghe trembled and knelt, his voice shaking.

“This disciple dares not! I simply feel that I deserve death—I have no face to continue living… If the Patriarch wishes to know anything, I will tell all!”

[Hmph! I never gave you permission to die. Since when do you get to make that decision for me?!]

Tu Xinghe stared at his dirt-covered hands in silence, his heart already dead.

[Where did you obtain this demonic technique?]

“This disciple acquired it while completing a sect mission. I encountered a demonic cultivator wearing a fox mask. I have no idea what realm he was in, but I was completely helpless before him. He didn’t kill me—he provoked the regrets in my heart, agitated my unwillingness, and finally handed me a demonic cultivation manual, saying it would help me.”

Chen Huai’an felt a headache coming on.

Tu Xinghe had clearly fallen into a trap.

If he had stolen the manual from a demonic sect stronghold, that would’ve been easy to deal with.

But with only the vague description of a fox-masked cultivator, how the hell was he supposed to track them?

That person could switch masks anytime— next time, they could wear an ox mask, horse mask, or whatever the hell they wanted.

And chances were, this was not an isolated incident.

If Tu Xinghe had encountered a demonic recruiter, then other sects probably had similar disciples who had fallen into the same scheme.

Ambition. Regret. Hatred.

For cultivators, these emotions were far too common.

They lived longer than mortals, making it inevitable that they would clash with others.

And these young, inexperienced disciples were perfect targets for corruption.

I wonder if Heavenly Divination can pinpoint these demonic recruiters…

For now, gathering more information was the priority.

[What is the name of this demonic art? Show it to me!]

Tu Xinghe obediently took out a jade slip, placing it on the stone table.

“Noble Patriarch, this technique is called Heavenly Demon Blood Refining Secret Codex. Its core principle revolves around using blood essence to enhance spiritual energy and muscle strength.”

[You have obtained Item: ‘Heavenly Demon Blood Refining Secret Codex’ (Fragment 1 of 3)]

Chen Huai’an blinked at the new item notification.

Wait a minute—why did it automatically show up in my inventory?

…Can I cultivate this too?

The moment his hand gripped the jade slip, a flood of new information surged into his mind.

After digesting it, he understood.

This technique originated from the Heavenly Demon Sect, one of Cangyun Realm’s ancient demonic sects.

It was part of their sect’s core cultivation art, the Heavenly Demon Art.

There were three sections:

Main Manual - Heavenly Demon Heart Devouring Method

Sub-manual 1 - Heavenly Demon Blood Refining Codex(this one)

Sub-manual 2 - Heavenly Demon Gluttonous Devouring Method

The Blood Refining and Gluttonous Devouring methods were secondary.

The true core was the Heart Devouring Method, which allowed its practitioner to control anyone cultivating the other two techniques within a certain range.

It all made perfect sense now.

The demonic cultivators of Cangyun Realm were playing a long game.

Their real target was the upcoming Zhongzhou Secret Realm expedition.

Every sect would be sending their most talented young disciples—the future elite of the righteous path.

If the demonic cultivators could slaughter all those fresh new recruits, it would be a devastating blow to the righteous sects.

Tu Xinghe, for example, might have been mediocre compared to his monstrous fellow disciples, but in any other sect, he would absolutely qualify to enter the secret realm.

“…No wonder Li Qingran’s survival rate in the secret realm was so low.”

Chen Huai’an shook his head.

This wasn’t just a secret realm expedition anymore.

This was a mass execution site.

And the righteous sect disciples were the fish.

What now?

If he followed his usual cowardly strategy, the best move was not to enter the secret realm at all.

Let the righteous and demonic factions kill each other—it wouldn’t affect Li Qingran or the Sword Pavilion for now.

But his main quest objective was there.

The Hundred Herbs Detox Pill ingredients could only be found in that secret realm.

Which meant Li Qingran would have to go.

“…Wait. If my cancer was cured before the Zhongzhou Secret Realm opened, Li Qingran wouldn’t have to go, right?”

Chen Huai’an slapped his forehead.

Whether or not the Demon Slayer Bureau could cure him was irrelevant.

Now that he knew Li Qingran was real, why didn’t he just ask her for a cure directly?

Mutated cancer?

That was just a minor inconvenience—even ordinary elixirs could probably deal with it!

“I’m a damn genius! Hahahaha!”

Chen Huai’an threw his hands on his hips and laughed three times.

On the windowsill, Baji and Little Qing shivered in terror.

—

[Tu Xinghe, I am not a bloodthirsty man. Disperse your demonic cultivation, receive one hundred lashes at the Disciplinary Hall, then reflect at the Sword Grave for a week!]

Tu Xinghe’s eyes widened in shock.

“Patriarch… You… You’re not killing me?”

[What’s the point? If you truly regret your actions, correcting them is far more valuable than a meaningless death.]

“Patriarch!”

Tu Xinghe kowtowed deeply, tears welling up.

He didn’t understand what "correcting mistakes is the greatest virtue" meant, but he felt the immense expectations placed upon him.

The Patriarch believed in him.

The Patriarch wanted him to grow.

He was supposed to fight against fate, wielding his sword against heaven itself!

A sword cultivator’s path didn’t require demonic arts.

His past failures and regrets should have been his motivation to move forward.

If the Patriarch didn’t hold his past mistakes against him…

Why should he?

With newfound resolve, a wisp of clear energy rose from Tu Xinghe’s head.

He immediately sat down, entering a state of enlightenment.

Not only did he fully expel the demonic cultivation, but his cultivation rose instead of falling—from Foundation Establishment (Late) to Peak Foundation Establishment, even showing signs of breaking into Golden Core.

“Damn… These Sword Pavilion disciples are insane. I barely said anything, and he’s already having an epiphany…”

Chen Huai’an was jealous as hell.

Why was his cultivation speed so slow?!

Why had he never experienced enlightenment?!

Clearly, it was his demonic cancer cells holding him back.

This had nothing to do with his natural talent.

He was certain of it.

Time to fix his body.

[Su Qinian!]

“This junior is here!” Su Qinian immediately knelt.

[The demonic sects have infiltrated numerous righteous sects by spreading demonic techniques. Notify all righteous sects to conduct internal investigations!]

“Yes! Please rest assured, Patriarch!”

With that, Chen Huai’an turned to the adorable Li Qingran, standing obediently to the side.

His voice instantly softened.

"Qingran, baby, come inside~ Let’s talk about something good, hehehe…"

After a long silence, a voice from the void solemnly declared:

[Disciple, come inside for a talk.]